How Far Can Forgiveness Go
by Lokis-lover-lady
Summary: Loki's army may have been defeated but he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. He is still on Earth, waiting and watching. Nora is a grieving widow. Her husband was killed in the attack on NYC. When this mysterious man comes into her life she cannot help but be drawn to him. Will she feel the same when she finds out who he is?
1. Chapter 1

Loki looked out across New York, smirking at what he had done. Those Avengers, did they really think they could capture him? Sure they may have beaten his army but they had not beaten him. The Loki that went back to Asgard with Thor was nothing more than a magic trick. Loki would stay here and work from the inside. He would get to know the inner workings of Midgard. Loki walked down the street and realized that nobody starred at him or ran from him in terror. S.H.I.E.L.D. was doigna good job of covering all of this up. They called it a terrorist attack instead of an alien invasion, easier for people to believe. Loki walked through the rubble that was NYC. He wore a black suit with a dark green shirt and a black tie. His shiny black shoes stayed shiny as he walked through the bricks and dust. The attack had only been yesterday so people were still displaced, wandering around covered in blood and dirt. This was a sight that Loki loved to see. The chaos, the brokenness. This planet would need someone to unite them, to help them come together. Loki's plans to take over by force may have failed but he was still burdened with glorious purpose.

Nora dropped her phone. No, no, no this wasn't true. This was not what she wanted to hear. No, David was not dead, he couldn't be. She slowly sat down on the couch as shock overtook her. She looked at the table beside her where their wedding picture was sitting. She ran her fingers over her husband's face. A face she would never see again. It was then that the tears came. Nora got up and walked up the stairs to their bedroom. The hallway was lined with pictures of her and David. She stopped and touched every one of them and each made her cry even harder. She went into the closet and pulled out his favorite hoodie. It was from the college that they both went to and he had been wearing it the day they met. She wrapped it around her and flopped onto the bed. She held his pillow to her face and breathed in. She wanted to be surrounded by David's smell. Nora laid in bed for a long time, her cat Persephone curled up around her feet.

This was not fair. Nora and David had just started their lives together and now it was over. She looked at their wedding picture, taken just 8 months ago. Her heart broke with longing for her husband. Her blond haired, blue eyed David had been good to her. They had just bought this house and moved into it. David had gotten a new job working in the city and had been so proud to buy a nice house in Jersey where Nora taught high school English. Nora pulled the hood of David's hoodie over her head and held the picture close to her heart. She put her head down on David's pillow and wrapped her covers around her. She had not stopped crying since she had started. Her quiet sobs lulled her to sleep.

Nora slowly opened her eyes to the sun streaming in. She blinked a few times. Her eyes hurt not only from crying but because she had fallen asleep with her contacts in. She didn't want to get up from her warm cocoon that smelled like David but she had to go to the bathroom. She grudgingly threw off the covers and walked to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands. Her pale green eyes were puffy red. She took out her contacts and put her glasses on. Her straight auburn hair fell to the middle of her back and she pulled it up into a messy bun. She looked at all of David's things in the bathroom waiting for him to come back to them. She looked at the counter where he had spilled toothpaste that day before he went to work and didn't wipe it up. Nora felt like this was not real. How could he just be gone? She went back into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of David's sweatpants. They were pretty big on her so she tightened to drawstring and tied it. She slid her feet into his slippers. Persephone meowed and rubbed herself against Nora's legs. Nora bent down and picked the black cat up.

"I'm sorry Seph. You must be hungry." She kissed the cat's head and walked down the stairs.

Nora's feet shuffled on the hard wood floors. David's slippers were enormous on her tiny feet and she had to try really hard not to trip. She fed Persephone and threw away the empty cat food bag. She would have to tell David to get some on the way home from work. She froze and then sunk down onto the floor. No, David couldn't get cat food on his way home because he was never coming home. She would never be able to call him and hear him pick up on the other end. She sat against the cupboard hugging her knees to her chest. She began to cry all over again. She didn't even think there could have been tears left after last night. She heard her phone ring and remembered she had left it downstairs last night. She didn't have the energy to get up to answer it. She put her head down onto her knees. Her doorball rang and she barely heard it. There was a knocking to accompany the ringing but Nora stayed where she was on the floor. She heard the front door unlock and open. There were only 2 people besides herself that had a key to that door. She looked up as her best friend Mia came around the corner.

"Oh Nora." Mia said putting her purse down.

Nora's tears came flowing anew. "Mia, David is dead."

Mia came down on the floor with Nora and wrapped her arms around her. "I know honey, I know. I'm so sorry."

Nora cried and cried as Mia held her and stroked her back.

**Hope you guys are going to enjoy this story. It will be different from my last one I promise! Reviews would be appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Loki stopped and looked at a newspaper stand. He picked up a copy of the New York Times. Right there on the front cover was the information on the memorial for all the people who had died in the attack. He smiled. Perfect! Exactly what he needed to get his spirit up. He couldn't wait to see all the pain he had caused.

Nora zipped up her plain black dress and flattened it out. She pulled her hair up into a bun, not wanting to deal with it today. Persephone rubbed against Nora's black tights. She reached down to pet the cat while she searched for her black heels. Today was the day of the memorial for everyone killed in New York during the attack. Nora really did not want to go but she also knew that she had to. Burying David yesterday had been the hardest day of her entire life. Coming home by herself to her empty house had nearly killed her too. There had been so many people around her the past week and she just wanted to be alone. Mia had been a godsend. She had sent people away when she knew Nora needed space and she had coordinated everything for the funeral with Nora. Nora's parents had come into town but could only stay for the week because they both worked. Her little brother was in college so he could not miss too many days of class. This left Nora with the alone time she had been wanting. She had been grateful for that but now she had to go out into the public eye. The whole world would be watching the memorial. Nora slipped on her heels and headed out the door.

Nora stood alone in a sea of people. Mia had tried desperately to get out of a meeting to be with her but had no such luck. Everyone here had friends and family to cry with but Nora stood alone. There was no one there to hold her hand or to dry her tears. She was so tired of crying that she had just decided not to anymore. David was gone and no matter how much she cried he was not going to come back. The mayor was talking but Nora wasn't really listening. Her mind was elsewhere. Her feet were beginning to hurt and she just really wanted to go home. The ceremony dragged on and on. They read a list of names of all the people who had died. Nora braced herself as they got close to David's name but it didn't help. Hearing his name among the dead brought a sob out of her. An elderly woman next to her reached out and rubbed her arm, smiling at her lovingly. It was a nice gesture but Nora didn't smile in return. Instead she pulled her arm away and walked away. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be there anymore.

Loki stood in the back of the crowd. He didn't need to hear who was talking or what they were saying. Just being around all these people who he had hurt was good enough for him. To see their tear stained faces and hear their cries was a wonder. These pathetic humans crying over their own mortality. It sickened him. He watched as they all held each other and cried together. His eyes scanned the crowd and settled on a woman standing all alone. She had no expression on her face and stood with her arms crossed in front of her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, trying to figure out exactly why she was here. He watched her lose her composure when the name David Landry was spoken. Ah hah boyfriend? Husband? Either way he watched as she withdrew from the crowd and walked away. He had no idea why but he found himself following her.

Nora had wanted to go home but instead found herself walking through the cemetery towards David's grave. She found the pile of dirt that had his name card placed next to it. Of course there was no headstone yet but Nora would never forget the spot where he was buried. She slipped her heels off and sat down next to the mound. She didn't care at all that her nice dress would get dirty. She put her hand on the mound of dirt.

"Oh David. I miss you so much already." She said letting a tear slip down onto the dirt.

The wind blew and Nora let her hair down. The majority of it fell towards her face. That was fine with her; it would cover her tears from other people. The wind blew her hair out from in front of her face and Loki caught a good look at her. She was an average looking human woman. Her round eyes were a pale green. Her lips were full and heart shaped. Upon first glance there was nothing striking about her appearance at all. So why was he still standing here watching her? He watched her pat down the dirt and wipe a tear from her face. Nora closed her eyes and breathed in. The smell of the dirt overpowered her senses. She could tell she was close to all out losing it. It had been like that the past week. One moment she would be strong and stoic and the next minute she would be a hysterical wreck. She could tell the latter was about to happen and figured it would be best to do that at home. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress. She slipped on her shoes and blew a kiss at the mound of dirt.

"Goodbye David. I will come by and visit again soon."

Loki watched her walk away from the mound of dirt. He decided to follow her again. He stopped for a moment to look at the dirt mound where she had just been sitting_._ The little card beside it said:_ David Landry. Loving Husband. January 29, 1987-August 16, 2012_. Ah okay husband is it then. Loki followed behind her as she walked to her car and got inside. He took one in the same parking lot that she was in and pulled out a minute behind her.

Nora got inside her house just in time. The second the door closed her sobs became uncontrollable. She slid down against the front door and leaned her back against it. She wanted so badly to just scream but knew that it would frighten the neighbors. She slowly crawled her way over to the couch and pulled herself up onto it. She lay across it and pulled a pillow up to her face. She bite onto the pillow and screamed. It felt good to finally do that. She kept the pillow against her and screamed again.


	3. Chapter 3

Nora stood in front of her class trying to keep her composure. She had taken 3 weeks off but she knew she needed to get back to her class. She couldn't decide what was worse, being here at school trying to pretend like everything was fine or being at home all by herself all day. She ultimately chose school because she knew she had to get back to her life eventually. David was gone and she knew that she would need to move forward no matter how much she wanted to quit. Her students were staring at her and she realized that she was just standing there.

"Oh sorry. I was just thinking." She shook her head and sat down at her desk. "Okay if you would open to Act II of Much Ado About Nothing. We are just going to go around the room and read it out loud."

Nora was walking around her classroom at the end of day. Her black heels clacked on the tile floor as she picked up the books around the room. She piled them on the front table and sat down in her desk chair. She looked at the picture of her and David on her desk. She felt tears begin to form again. Wasn't this supposed to get easier not harder? Every day it felt like it was harder and harder to get out of bed. She wiped at her eyes. No she did not have time for this. She had a meeting that she needed to get to. She stood up and straightened her black pencil skirt. She checked her gray button up to make sure it was straight. She did not want to go to this curriculum planning meeting. There would be teachers from all over the district just sitting and listening to the superintendent talk. It was just about the last thing Nora wanted to be doing.

Loki sat at the back of the room watching. He watched this woman sit perfectly still and take notes in the notebook on her lap. He could not take his eyes off of her. What was it about this woman that drew him to her? She was so ordinary and yet at the same time she was not. He saw how strong she looked in the face of her colleagues who continued to ask her questions of how she was doing and if she was alright. From where he was watching it seemed as if she was perfectly fine. He knew the difference though. He could see it in her eyes when she thought people weren't looking. He knew how that felt. He felt a weird feeling, one that he was not very accostumeed to. He almost felt sorry for her. He shook his head trying to clear these thoughts from his mind. When the meeting was over he felt his legs taking him to her. He didn't remember making the decision to talk to her but somehow that was where he was going.

Nora was packing up her things as quickly as she could. She could not be subjected to one more person asking how she was doing. She couldn't keep it together and keep a smile on her face for very much longer. She was looking down trying to avoid eye contact when she saw a shadow fall over her. She looked up and there was a gorgeous man with black hair and emerald eyes standing over her. He gave her this smile, well it was more of a smirk. A smile that made it seem like he knew something about you that you didn't know yet.

"Hello." He said holding his hand out. "I'm Loki Laufeyson."

She shook his cool hand. "Nora Landry."

He let go of her hand and put his hand in his jacket pocket. "I just wanted to come and introduce myself."

"Umm thank you?" Nora said.

She was very confused. Who was this man and why did he just come over and meet her? She noticed as people were watching them and got extremely uncomfortable.

"Well I really need to be going." She said putting her bag on her shoulder.

"Oh yes of course." He said moving out of her way.

"Thank you. I'm sure I will be seeing you around." She said beginning to walk away.

"I'm sure you will." He said just loud enough for only her to hear.

She walked away feeling a chill in her spine. She could feel his haunting emerald eyes on her. She could tell that he was watching her walk away. The part that scared her the most was that she should have been creeped out. She should have minded that this man was staring at her but she didn't. It didn't bother her at all that he was checking her out as she walked away.

Loki watched Nora walk quickly away. He watched her long legs take strides to leave the room. Her skirt hugged her wide hips and slender waist. He was enamored with watching her. Her long ponytail swung from side to side. He waited until she was outside and then he followed her. He watched her walk across the parking lot to her car and get inside. He knew she couldn't see him so he got a little closer. He watched as she put her head on the steering wheel and cried. It didn't last long. She only cried for a few minutes before she wiped her tears and drove away. Watching her break down like that caused something inside Loki that he didn't understand. It was like he felt bad for her and wanted to comfort her. Why did he feel like this?

Nora sat in the bathroom waiting for the result. She didn't know what she felt. Either way was good and bad. She and David had just started trying for a baby. On one hand she wanted so badly to be pregnant because she would have a part of David. At the same time she did not want to raise a baby by herself with no father. Either way she was not getting what she wished she could have. Her timer went off and she held the test in her hand. She took a deep breath and flipped it over. Positive. Nora couldn't believe how happy she felt. She put her hand on her belly. A baby, David's baby. There was a piece of David still here. She let out a few tears and rubbed her belly. This was a good thing. This is what they had wanted. She knew she would have to raise this baby by herself but she was going to raise it right. David would be so proud. She stood up and walked into her bedroom. She laid down on the bed and held a picture of David close. She closed her eyes and thought about how excited David would be to find out about the baby. She smiled and drifted off to sleep dreaming about David and their baby.

**Hey guys I'm having a bit of trouble with this story so sorry for the delay. Please give me some reviews and let me know what you think! I wanna know if you like this story!**


	4. Chapter 4

Nora waited at the coffee shop for Mia. She loved her best friend but she was always late. Nora drank her hot chocolate wishing so badly that it was coffee. That was going to be the hardest thing to give up. She couldn't wait to tell her best friend that she was pregnant. She never even told Mia that she and David had started trying for a baby. She had taken the day off work to go to the doctor's to check everything out. She had gotten a clean bill of health and a sonogram picture to take home. She checked her phone and had a text from Mia. She would be there in 10 minutes. Yeah sure she would. Usually ten meant more like fifteen. Nora sat back and sipped her hot chocolate. She was looking down at her phone when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hello again."

She looked up. It was Loki, the man from the meeting. He was dressed in almost exactly the same thing he had been wearing that night. A black suit with a dark green shirt.

"Oh umm hi." Nora said not really knowing what else to say.

"Do you mind if I sit for a moment?" he asked, pulling the chair out from the table.

Nora tucked her hair behind her ear. "Uh yeah sure. My friend won't be here for a few more minutes."

"Thank you." He said sitting down in the chair.

He picked up his mug of coffee and took a sip without breaking eye contact with her. She didn't really know what to say. This was all very strange. He watched her shift uncomfortable in her seat.

"So you teach English?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"And how is that?" he asked leaning back in his chair with his legs spread far apart.

"It's good I suppose."

He continued to pin her with his piercing eyes. She felt very uncomfortable but at the same time didn't want him to stop looking away.

He smiled at her. "I have always thought English was the most important subject. Without books there would be nothing."

Amelia laughed a little. "That is exactly what I am always telling Dav…" She stopped short.

Loki saw the look on her face. She had started to say David. He stuck out his hand and placed it on top of hers on the table.

"I am sorry." He said.

She struggled to keep the tears inside. "Thank you."

He did not take his hand off of hers. His large cool hand weighed down on her own warm small one. He gave it a small squeeze and stood up from the table.

"Well I believe your friend is here. Until next time Nora." And with that he walked out of the coffee shop.

She watched him walk out. The way he strutted like he owned the place. Who was this man? She realized that he knew things about her and she knew absolutely nothing about him. This should have bothered her a lot but for some reason it did not at all. She didn't even realize Mia had sat down until she said something.

"Hello Earth to Nora! Who was that?"

She looked at her friend. "What?"

"I said who was that guy?"

"Oh umm I don't really know. I met him at a meeting a few days ago but I don't really know who he is?"

Mia looked out the window to see if she could catch a glimpse at him again. "Mmm well he is hot. Did he tell you his name?"

She laughed at her friend. "Yeah it's Loki Laufeyson."

Mia scoffed. "Loki? What the hell kind of name is that?"

Nora smiled. "I'm not really sure. I think it is kinda cool."

"Umm yeah okay. Sure it is." She glanced into Nora's cup. "Wow hot chocolate really? You actually came to a coffee shop and didn't get coffee?"

Nora smiled and grabbed her purse. "Yeah but there is a good reason."

"Well yeah either that or the world is ending."

Nora pulled out the picture and set it on the table in front of Mia. Mia picked it up and looked at it. She looked back and forth from Nora to the picture.

"No way."

Nora nodded her head. "Yeah I'm pregnant."

Mia screamed and the whole coffee shop turned and looked at them. Nora was hyper aware of everyone's eyes on them but Mia didn't seem to notice at all.

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god! Nora you are having a baby! Oh my god!" she got up and hugged her friend.

Nora noticed that people were still staring at them and getting annoyed with the amount of noise that Mia was making.

"Okay okay let go of me. How about we go back to my place and talk about this." Nora said grabbing her purse.

Mia grabbed her purse and wrapped her arm inside Nora's. They walked out of the coffee shop together. Mia was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She practically bounced to the car.

"Oh my god Nora I am so happy for you. I seriously cannot believe that you are pregnant." She said as she got into the car.

Loki stood just around the corner. Hmm Nora was with child. For some reason this intrigued Loki. He watched her smiling and laughing with her friend. She was going to be a mother. A single mother and it was because of him. It was his fault that Nora's baby would not have its father. Loki shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? Why should he care about this at all? He did not know her. He did not owe her anything. She was a meaningless mortal and he should not care anything about her. So why did he?

**Reviews would be seriously appreciated! I want to know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

Nora closed the door, waving to Mia. She loved her best friend but sometimes she could be exhausting. She really just needed some time alone to process. She hadn't let herself get her hopes up and be excited until she found out for sure from her doctor. Her doctor had confirmed that she was indeed pregnant. She was 4 weeks pregnant which meant that she had gotten pregnant the week that David died. She sat down on the couch with Persephone curled up in her lap. She pulled out her laptop to start looking up baby things. Instead of searching though she found herself thinking about the mystery man. Sure she knew his name but she knew nothing else about him. She didn't know where he came from or what he did. And somehow he seemed to know things about her. Like how did he know that when she started to say David's name that David was her dead husband. Surely he hadn't known about David. She shook her head and stood up. How could she really be thinking about him right now?

She walked up the stairs and stood outside the door to David's office. She had not gone in there since before he died. It had always been his space at home and she tried to stay out of it. She slowly pushed open the door. The smell of David hit her like a wall. This room had been untouched in the weeks that followed his death. His things were all lying around like they were waiting for him to come back to them. She went up to his computer and touched the mouse. His computer sprung to life and she saw the background picture was a picture from their honeymoon. It was them holding hands together on them beach. Nora tried to cover her mouth before a sob escaped but it didn't matter. She put her hand on the computer screen touching his face. Right beside the monitor was a coffee mug. There was a tiny bit of coffee still in the mug. Nora smiled. David always left his mugs lying around and it had driven her crazy. This room was so weird for her. Everything in it made it seem like David was just gone for the day. Like he was coming back to his tabs still open on the computer. She could bear to close them or to take the coffee mug from the room. She got up from David's desk and walked to the door. His gym bag was in the corner and his football right beside it. She left everything were it was and closed the door behind her. She knew that eventually she was going to have to clean out that room but today it just wasn't going to happen.

Loki sat in the apartment he had procured. He had piles of research lying around him but he couldn't seem to pay attention to it. He couldn't stop thinking about Nora. No matter how hard he tried to forget about her and pay attention to what was in front of him he simply couldn't get her out of his mind. He wanted to see her again. He could not even think of a legitimate reason as to why she was in his head. She was a widow and she was pregnant. What could he possibly think she would want with him? And what did he want with her? Loki was not known for being kindhearted or remorseful. Yet this woman made him feel something he did not understand. He almost felt bad for her. He thought about when he saw her eyes fill with tears. He had placed his hand out to hers without even thinking. His mouth had said the words I'm Sorry before he even realized what he was doing. What was this woman doing to him? He did not like feeling like this. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He had plans to execute and people to manipulate. He did not have time to feel sorry for a pregnant widow. He decided he would have to get to know her and find out why she was in his head. Clearly something was wrong with him and he had to fix it immediately. He had to think of a cover, some reason that would allow him to get close to her.

Nora sat at her desk finishing up some email before she went home for the day. She had just shut down her computer when there was a knock on her door jam. She turned and looked to see Loki leaning against the doorframe.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked.

She was too stunned to say anything right away. "Oh uh yeah sure." She stuttered.

Loki stepped inside the room and looked around. For some reason this is exactly what he pictured her room to look like. There were quotes from classical books all over the room and there was even a Grendel hand hanging from her chalkboard. He leaned back against one of the desks right in front of hers. She shifted in her seat, not knowing exactly what to do.

"Uhm is there something that you needed?" she asked.

He continued to lounge where he was on the desk. "Yes I wanted to speak with you actually. I am looking to give some funding to the school and I am told that you are the perfect person to talk to."

Nora blinked. "Me? Why me?"

He smiled at her. "You come highly recommended."

Nora was so confused. She had nothing to do with funding at the school. Who would have told him about her? She looked around at her classroom that definitely needed new desks and books. She couldn't pass up this opportunity to get money for her school no matter how much she wanted to just go home. Her stomach growled rather loud and her cheeks flushed. He smiled at her flashing his perfect white teeth.

"Why don't we talk about this over dinner? Is that alright with you?"

Nora wasn't sure what to feel but she couldn't deny that she was hungry. Besides he didn't ask her on a date. This was a business thing, strictly professional.

"Yeah that is fine with me." She said standing up from her desk.

Loki stood up straight. "Perfect. I'm afraid I took a cab here so do you mind if I ride with you?"

Nora was very flustered but she was trying very hard not to show it. "Sure that's fine. Let me just lock up my room."

Loki stepped out into the hallway as Nora closed and locked the door behind her.

"I'm parked this way." She said turning to the right.

Loki followed beside Nora as her heels clacked down the hallway. They were the only ones in the hallway so her shoes echoed. She couldn't deny the fact that she actually loved that sound. She was hyper aware of Loki walking so close to her. When they got out to the parking lot she unlocked her car. She slipped into the driver's seat as he walked around to the other side. She took those few seconds to try and calm herself a little. What the hell was she doing? Loki opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. His long legs were a little cramped in her small car. She noticed his discomfort.

"Oh I'm sorry. Here you can push the seat back if you want."

Without even realizing what she was doing she put her hand on the front of the seat and pushed the bar down. She pulled her hand back quickly when she realized she had put it right her hand right in between his legs. She decided it would be best to ignore it and not say anything. Loki smirked to himself. He could see that he made her extremely nervous. She twisted in her seat to throw her bag in the back. Loki watched out of the corner of his eye to see her button up shirt pull and the top off her breasts come out the top a little. He looked away to make sure that she didn't catch him looking. Nora took a deep breath to try and calm herself before she started driving.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm not from around here so I will trust your judgment on that. Wherever you want to go is fine with me."

Nora thought about it for a second. She couldn't deny that she was craving a steak something fierce but she also wanted this to be a business as possible. No dim lighting or romantic atmosphere. That ruled out about 90% of the places around. She pulled out of the parking lot. She figured she would just start driving and it would come to her. Loki watched Nora as she drove. She drove with skill and had great reflexes. There was a lot of stop and go 5 o clock traffic but she never once got impatient or flustered. He still didn't understand cars that well but she seemed to be doing an excellent job. She passed place after place and still nothing seemed like it was right for a business meeting. Finally she saw a Panera. They would be seriously overdressed for the casual atmosphere but she also wouldn't feel uncomfortable there with all the people and bright lights.

Nora was surprised that Loki had never been to a Panera before. She ordered a salad and he ordered a sandwich. They sat down by the window. They were very quiet as they ate. Nora was trying so hard not to stare at him. She didn't understand him and why she was okay with coming out to dinner with him. It is only business it is only business she reminded herself over and over again. Then why did it feel so good? She was getting uncomfortable with what she was feeling. She finished her salad and pushed the bowl to the side. She folded her hands on the table in front of her.

"Okay so what is it exactly that you do Mr. Laufeyson?"

He wiped his mouth and pushed his empty plate away from him. "Call me Loki. I'm independently wealthy."

He flashed his toothy smirk again. She actually felt herself staring into his eyes. Okay seriously what the hell was wrong with her? This was not okay. She knew she needed to get out of there and quickly.

"I'm sorry Mr. Lau…umm Loki but is there a way we could continue this another time?"

He leaned forward. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah I just am not feeling very well. It is probably a pregnancy thing."

She stopped. What the hell was wrong with her? She just told this man she just met that she was pregnant when she hadn't even told her family or her coworkers yet. Yeah she really needed to get out of there before she said or did anything else stupid.

Loki raised his eyebrows. Wow she had told him that she was expecting a child. He already knew that of course but it was different for her to tell him herself.

He stood up. "Of course we can do this another time."

Loki held the door for her as they walked out. She turned to him as he came out of the door behind her.

"Did you need me to take you home?" she asked.

He smiled. "No I can call a cab."

She felt a little bad. "Are you sure?"

"Yes do not worry about it at all."

"Okay. I'm sorry again to be bailing." She said.

He held out his hand to shake hers. "I assure you it is perfectly alright. You are with child and need to take care of yourself."

She shook his outstretched hand. He amazed her with how eloquently he spoke sometimes.

"I promise we can reschedule." She started to walk away and then turned back. "Oh and please don't tell anyone about me being pregnant. I have not told anyone at work yet."

He held up his hand. "Your secret is safe with me." He said smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

Nora put her head down on her desk. Ugh this whole no caffeine thing was killing her. She had a massive headache and just wanted to go to bed. It had been a week since her meeting with Loki and she hadn't heard from him since. Maybe she scared him off. For some reason it really bothered her. She put her hand on her still flat belly. It was strange to think that there was a part of David growing inside of her. She still had not told her coworkers or her boss yet. She just was not ready for all that attention. She preferred to be left alone and they had just finally stopped asking how she was every time they saw her. She couldn't believe it had already been a month that David had been gone. She turned her head to the side to look at the picture of them on her desk. The cool desk felt good against her cheek. When she closed her eyes it wasn't David's face that came to her mind, it was Loki's. She shook her head and sat up. What was wrong with her? She didn't know this man and her husband had just died. She picked up her purse and closed her door behind her. She needed to get some air and think about things.

Loki sat behind the desk in his flat. It had been a week since he saw Nora and he could not stop thinking about her. She had made it clear at their last meeting that she was uncomfortable around him. He growled in frustration and threw the book he was holding at the wall. He got up and paced the room. What the hell was wrong with him? He was supposed to be scheming and planning and all he could think about was the way Nora's pencil skirt hugged her hips and ass. He was beyond frustrated but there was nothing he could do about it. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate on other things it was her pale green eyes that came to his mind. She was haunting his dreams and invading his every thought. He grabbed his suit jacket and slammed the door behind him.

Nora walked through the park not really paying attention to anything around her. There were families playing together and couples kissing. She didn't really want to see any of that. She walked by herself which was the only thing that ever happened these days. The cool late September air blew around her. She wrapped her arms around herself. Her purple button up shirt didn't keep her very warm but she hadn't thought to bring a jacket. She kept walking along until she came to the lake. She stood against the railing on the dock and looked out across the water. She had always loved to look at water, it calmed her. She stared at the still surface and saw herself in it. She saw her long auburn hair blowing out behind her in the wind. She saw the look in her eyes, the look of the lost. She let a single tear slide down her face and create a ripple when it hit the water. She looked up and saw a mother pushing her child in a stroller on the other side of the lake. She put her hand on her belly. Soon that will be me, she thought to herself. No sooner had she thought it a man came up and took the woman's hand. Nora sighed. No, this was not her future. She would be alone. She would be the woman pushing the child in the stroller by herself. She would be the one going to parent meetings alone. All of it she would have to do alone. Nora rubbed her belly.

"I'm so sorry baby. It's not fair." She whispered.

She wrapped her arms closer around her. Damn this breeze was cold. Getting sick was the last thing she needed but she didn't want to leave this peaceful lake. She didn't hear anyone approach but she all of the sudden felt that she was not alone. She turned and Loki was standing right beside her. He smiled at her.

"Hello." He said.

She smiled back but was startled to see him here. "Hi."

He came and leaned on the railing beside her. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been busy."

She leaned forward again not wanting to look him right in the face. "That's alright."

He turned his head to look at her. "Would you happen to be free right now?"

Nora desperately wanted to go home but she found herself saying. "Sure I'm free," before her mind had time to stop her.

He flashed a smirk. "Perfect. Where can we go to talk?"

"I live just around the corner."

It just kind of came out of her mouth. Seriously what the hell was she thinking? She just invited a man she didn't know anything about to her house. This was so inappropriate. She couldn't even believe she had just said that. Maybe he would say no, she half hoped he would. Loki raised his eyebrows when she said that. Did she really just invite him to her home? He could not pass up this opportunity.

"Lead the way." He said standing up straight.

Nora cursed herself on the inside. This was stupid but she couldn't do anything about it now. She couldn't even imagine what he would think of her if she cancelled again now. She turned and began to walk back down the path with Loki right beside her. The wind blew her hair around her and she wrapped her arms around herself again. Loki noticed her shiver and he took off his jacket.

"Here would you like to wear this?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I don't want to take your jacket."

He held it out to her. "Please I don't get cold easily. You need it more than I do."

She smiled and took it from him. "Thank you. That is very kind."

She pulled the jacket on and instantly felt warmer. The jacket was very soft and it smelled wonderful. She pulled it tighter around her, loving the way it felt. She could not help but like the jacket. They walked to the car and Nora got in the driver's seat. She pulled off the jacket as Loki walked around to the other side. She knew she needed to give it back now before it got inappropriate. Well more inappropriate. Loki got in the car and she handed it to him.

"Here. Thank you again."

He took the jacket from her. "What kind of man would I be if I let a pregnant woman freeze?"

The good thing about having so much alone time was that Nora had used that time to keep the house clean. It was virtually spotless just because she had nothing better to do with her time. She opened the door and Loki followed her in. She closed the door behind him and turned on the light. Loki looked around at the foyer. It was a two story house with a large living room and dining room right off of the foyer.

"I can hang your jacket up." She said holding out her hand.

Loki set it in her arm and watched as she walked over to the closet. Her heels clacked on the polished hardwood floor. She opened the closet and he saw the coats hanging inside. He could see that there were as many men's coats as there were women's. Obviously David's, which made Loki feel a bit weird. She hung his jacket among them and closed the closet door.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

"Sure." He said.

She walked into the kitchen and he followed her. She opened a cupboard and pulled out 2 mugs.

"Is coffee alright with you? I only have decaf." She said.

"Yeah sure that is fine."

Nora put the coffee on and showed Loki to the dining room.

"We can talk in here if that works for you."

"Absolutely." He said sitting down in one of the chairs.

Nora went back into the kitchen and poured their coffee. She brought it out on a tray with sugar and cream.

"I'm not sure how you take yours." She said setting it down in front of him.

"Black thank you." He said taking one of the mugs.

Nora sat down across from him, sipping at her own coffee. "So how is it that I can help you?"

Loki began to talk. He wasn't even sure what he was saying or what some of it meant but she seemed to be listening. Nora watched as Loki spoke. She didn't really know what he was saying but she listened anyways. They talked back and forth without hardly any breaks in between. Nora suddenly realized they were not talking about the school or funding or anything. She realized she was talking about herself and he was listening intently. Woah this was getting weird. She looked at the clock and realized that it was almost 10:00pm.

"I'm sorry I just realized what time it is and I have to teach in the morning. Could we continue this another time?"

Loki was shocked. He had not even realized it had gotten so late. He had been at Nora's house for hours. He stood up from the table.

"Oh I am so sorry. I did not notice the time. Of course."

Nora walked him to the closet to get his jacket. She pulled it out and he put it on. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a card.

"Here this has my phone number and email on it. We can arrange another time to meet and discuss things."

She took the card from his hand. Her fingertips brushing his. "Thank you."

Nora opened the door and Loki stepped outside. She saw her neighbor standing outside watching this man leave her house late at night. Oh great now she would be the talk of the neighborhood. Loki began to walk down the front steps and he turned around.

"Goodbye Nora. Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"Uh yeah you're welcome."

She closed the door behind her. She walked back into the dining room where his cup was sitting on the table. She picked it up and took it to the kitchen. She set it in the sink and turned on the water. What the hell was wrong with her? She just let this man spend all evening in her home and she actually enjoyed herself. She had been laughing, really laughing for the first time since David died. She ran her fingers through her hair. She was so frustrated. Why did Loki make her feel so good? She felt like it was a betrayal even though all they did was talk. Surely Loki did not want anything like that from her. She was a pregnant widow, what could he possibly see in her? The thought that scared her the most was that she was actually disappointed at that statement. She loved David more than she could even put into words and it felt like she was besmirching his memory by feeling these feelings. Loki intrigued her and excited her. He was gorgeous and kind. He listened when she spoke and seemed to always know what to say to her. Nora shook her head. No, these thoughts were not okay. They couldn't be. She couldn't see Loki anymore if this was how she felt. She took his card and threw it in the garbage disposal. Whatever this was it was not okay with her anymore. The next time she saw him she would tell him to get someone else to help him with the funding. She had to.

**Hey guys I would love to hear from you! Do you like the story? Does it feel like it is moving a little slow? Please let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

Nora opened the front door and picked up the box of clothes. She started to carry it to her car when Mia pulled up. Mia jumped out of the car.

"Hey put that down!"

"Why?" Nora said as she carried it to her car.

Mia came up to her and grabbed the box out of her arms. "Because you are pregnant."

Nora scoffed and tried to take the box back from her. "Mia I'm pregnant not an invalid. I can carry a damn box."

Mia held the box away from her. "No I'm not going to let you do this. I will carry the boxes."

Nora held her hands up. "Fine. There are 2 more inside."

Nora walked back inside while Mia carried the 3 boxes to Nora's car. When she was done she came into the living room where Nora was.

"What was in those boxes?"

"Some of David's clothes that I am donating."

"Oh okay." Mia said sitting down on the couch. "So what do you want to do today?"

"I don't really care." Nora said.

Mia smiled big. "Well we could go baby shopping!"

Nora smiled back. "Yeah that could be fun. Just let me go change my clothes."

Nora went upstairs to her room. Her closet seemed so empty now that she had taken most of David's clothes out of it. She kept some of his things that had sentimental value. She grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them on. They just barely fit. She looked down at her tiny 8 week bump. She was just barely showing. It wouldn't be noticeable if you did not already know. She pulled on a plain black shirt. It was a tighter shirt so it clung to the tiny bump. She put on a gray cardigan and a purple scarf. She slipped on a pair of black flats and came down the stairs. She came into the living room and Mia stood up.

"Oh my god! Look at that!" Mia came over and put her hands right on Nora's tiny belly. "It is so tiny and cute."

Nora laughed. "Yeah that just kinda showed up."

Mia let go and stood up. "I'm so excited now. Let's go get our shop on."

Loki rolled onto his back. "You can go."

The naked blonde next to him looked at him. "What?"

He turned away from her. "I said you can go now."

She grabbed her clothes and walked to the door. "Asshole." She said slamming the door behind her.

Loki put his hands over his eyes and sighed in frustration. This is how it had been for the last 3 weeks. He lost track of how many women had been in and out of his bed. He had been trying to get Nora out of his mind. He had blondes and brunettes and redheads but nothing seemed to satisfy him. Every time all he could think about was Nora. Her pale green eyes that sparkled a bluish tint in the sunlight and her long auburn hair that he could just tell would be soft to the touch. He thought about the way her long legs looked in her trademark heels. He grew hard again as he thought of the way her skirts hugged her hips and ass. He remembered the way her perky breasts looked that time in the car when he had gotten a quick glance at them. Loki threw off the covers and walked to his bathroom. He needed to take a shower and get his mind off of her. Loki slammed his fist into the wall cracking the tile of the shower. He ran his hand back over it and fixed it. This woman was getting to him and it pissed him off. Suddenly he got an idea. Maybe just maybe he could sleep with her once and get it out of his system. Loki thought about this. It was a good idea. Just screw her and leave, never have to see her again. He couldn't think of anything else to get her out of his head. He turned off the water and went to get dressed.

Nora set her bags down in the dining room. She looked at all of them, there were a ton. Mia and she had gone a little crazy. Her feet hurt from all the walking they did so she slipped her shoes off. Nora sat down at the table and began to sort through her bags. She pulled out some baby blankets and folded them. Since it was too early to find out what she was having she only bought simple gender neutral items. She pulled out the onesies she bought and folded them and set them on top of the blankets. She was just getting up to throw away the bags when her doorbell rang. That's weird she wasn't expecting anyone. She opened the door and Loki was standing there. He was dressed in just a dark green shirt and black jeans. He had this look in his eyes that Nora had not seen before.

"Loki uh what are you doing here?"

She barely finished her question before he grabbed her. He crushed his lips against hers with a ferocity that scared her. His kiss was soft but demanding at the same time. He pushed her into the house and kicked the door shut behind him. He pushed her back against the stair railing as his tongue demanded entrance into her mouth. She put her hands on his chest and pulled her lips away from his.

"Loki what are you doing?"

He put his finger on her lips to silence her. "Shh silence."

She couldn't move. "But Loki…"

He put his hand on her face. The look in his eyes was dark. The emerald irises had turned darker and she could feel the heat coming off of him. He looked her in the eyes and she could see the lust in them.

"Dear Nora." He said with a hint of patronization. "Tell me you do not want this."

He placed a kiss on her lips and then on her jaw. "Or this." He said placing a kiss on her collarbone.

She tried not to moan at his warm breath on her neck but one came out anyways. He smirked at her.

"That is what I thought."

He pressed his lips to hers again. She knew she should pull away. She knew she should tell him to go but no matter how much her brain told her to run, her body told her to stay. This time when his tongue prodded her she let it in. The taste of Loki's tongue on her own set her on fire. She knew she wanted him in that way. God help her she wanted him. Loki put his hands on her ass and pulled her against him. She could feel his erection against her through his jeans. Just feeling that made her get wet. As wrong as this was she couldn't stop now. Her brain shut off and her body and her hormones took over. She wrapped her arms around Loki, feeling his sculpted back through his t shirt.

Nora gasped as Loki picked her up in one swift movement. He climbed the stairs with her, never leaving contact with her lips. He threw open the bedroom door and dropped her down onto the bed. She bounced down onto the bed. She didn't even have time to sit up before Loki was on top of her crawling up her body. He had pulled his shirt off so fast that she didn't even see him do it. He looked at her like a predator stalking its prey. It scared her and turned her on at the same time. She moaned as Loki's lips captured hers again. She ran her hands on his muscled chest and abs. He slid his hands under her shirt and pulled it over her head. He unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts. Loki smiled. Finally he was getting to see what he had pictured in his head all this time. He flicked his thumb across her nipples making her moan. He then captured her breasts in his mouth and she made a gasp in pleasure. Nora felt Loki's skilled tongue make circles around her taut nipple and she arched her back. Loki's erection was throbbing in his pants and he couldn't wait any longer.

Loki unbuttoned his pants and pulled them off, kicking them onto the floor. Nora looked up at the fully naked Loki. His length was impressive and intimidating. He was incredibly long and she could see he was very hard. Loki moved back over her and slipped his hands into her jeans. He pulled off her jeans and panties in a swift jerk and threw them on the floor. Now they were both fully naked. He pressed his lips down on hers again. He used his knee to spread her legs apart. Nora could feel the tip of him pressed against her slit. With a quick and precise thrust Loki drove his length into her. Nora moaned as her body stretched to accommodate him. He was huge and filled every bit of her. Loki did not wait long before he began to thrust in and out of her. Nora widened her legs and wrapped them around him. He thrust hard and fast into her. He moaned as her tightness squeezed around him. Nora was in complete ecstasy, her sensations were everywhere. With every thrust she felt even more aroused. She knew she would not be able to hold on for much longer. She moved her hips in time with Loki's so they were thrusting together, driving him deeper inside of her.

Nora bit her lower lip as he release came to her. She felt her body shatter around her and she moaned out loud. The sound of her moan and the look in her hooded eyes brought Loki to his own release. He moaned low in his throat as he released his seed inside of her. Nora felt him cum inside of her and she relished the feeling of it. Loki kissed her harshly and pulled out of her. He rolled off of her and lay on his back. Nora sighed. She felt incredible and completely exhausted. Her eyelids began to flutter shut and before she knew it she was sound asleep. Loki heard Nora's breath slow down and he knew she was asleep. He closed his own eyes and felt himself start to drift. He fell asleep listening to the sound of her breathe.

Loki opened his eyes to sunlight streaming in the window. He looked around. He was in Nora's bedroom. He didn't even realize he had fallen asleep and spent the night here. He looked over and saw Nora sound asleep next to him. Her long hair was lying splayed out on her pillow and her lips were still swollen from last night's kisses. He was looking at her naked body when he saw something he had not noticed last night. Loki noticed the slight roundness of her belly. It was small but it was definitely there. He reached out and put his hand on it. It was soft but firm at the same time. Loki felt an odd feeling. He looked at this woman beside him and her belly where her child grew. A child that would never know its father. Loki took his hand off of her belly. It was his fault that this little life inside of Nora would be fatherless. Loki stood up and pulled his clothes on. It was bad enough that he had been responsible for David's death but now he had also gone and fucked the dead man's wife. Loki needed to leave. He didn't want to feel like this. He headed down the stairs and out the front door. He turned and looked at the house. He couldn't come back here anymore. He was done, he had to be. Loki walked away knowing that he could never see Nora again.

**Hey Guys! I am hoping to get some reviews out of this chapter! Please! There might be rewards in it!**


	8. Chapter 8

Nora woke up to the familiar dull ache between her legs. It had been awhile since it had felt like that. She rolled over and put her arm across the bed. Her arm made contact with nothing but cold sheet. Nora sat up and looked at the empty bed beside her. She put her hand over her mouth holding back a sob. What had she done? Last night came to her with utmost clarity. She had sex with Loki not David. She felt the urge to cover her naked body. She felt so ashamed with herself that she couldn't even move. She looked around the room and saw that she was alone. Loki had left. Then all the sudden she was mad at him for not staying. Nora was so disgusted with herself that she got up to take a shower. She turned the water on as warm as she could stand and stepped inside. She scrubbed at the spots where she could still feel Loki's cool hands on her body. She washed all traces of him off of her.

Nora put her head against the wall of the shower and started to cry. She loved David and he was gone. Now she had gone and slept with another man. She put her hand down on her tiny bump. She was carrying David's baby and it felt like a betrayal to her child that she had done this. She was crying so hard and so much that she made herself sick. Nora jumped out of the shower and threw up the entire contents of her stomach. She sat on the cold tile her wet hair sticking to her face. How could she have done this? She thought about last night. It was sex, plain and simple. Loki had not been gentle or caring. He had not held her in his arms. He had simply fucked her and left. Nora felt herself get sick again but there was nothing left to throw up. She sat there on the floor hating herself. Her child deserved better than this. Better than a weak willed mother who lets strangers into her bed. Nora stood up and rinsed out her mouth. She was a better person than this. Right there in the bathroom she made a vow to herself that this would not happen again. Loki was a dick who only used her for sex and she would not let him near her again. Nora was grateful that it was Sunday because she could stay home. She put her hair in towel and wrapped her robe around her. When she walked back into her room the sight of the wrinkled and stained sheets made her mad more than anything else. Mad at herself and mad at Loki, but she would not dwell on this. She pulled the sheets off the bed and threw them in the dirty clothes. What was done was done but she would never do it again. With that resolve Nora grabbed new sheets and made her bed.

Loki walked down the street, his jacket blowing out behind him. The cold November air whipped around his face but it did not bother him. It had been nearly a month since he slept with Nora and he still couldn't get her out of his mind. Every time he smelled an apple he remembered the smell of her hair. Every long auburn haired woman reminded him of her. He had tried to stay away from her but he found himself sneaking around watching her from afar. He watched her when she was out and about. She looked strong and confident. She was always smiling and laughing. He wondered if she thought about him as much as he thought about her but he doubted it. He watched her come out of her house with her peacoat buttoned around her. She got into her car and drove away. Loki watched her drive away and knew he would be there to watch her come home. It was all he ever thought about. Every other impulse to dominate and rule Midgard had been erased from his mind. All he could think about was Nora. He longed to go to her but he feared her rejection. He had hurt her, he knew he did but he could not help himself. He felt something for her that he did not understand.

Nora hung her coat up in her classroom. She was 12 weeks pregnant and her bump popped out from her. She had been hiding it for a while but she had finally gotten big enough that it could not be covered up anymore. She was now in her second trimester so she had told her coworkers last week. She relaxed that she did not have to hide it anymore. When her students entered the room and saw the way her dress hugged her belly there were mutters all around the room. She stood in front of her class in a dark purple maternity dress that showed she was clearly pregnant.

"Yes I am pregnant. Any questions?" she said.

There was silence. "Okay good then. Moving on. Open to page 30 of The Great Gatsby and let's get going."

Nora walked around a bookstore with Mia after work. They were looking at bridal books and magazines. Mia's boyfriend Brad had proposed to her last week and Nora was going to be the maid of honor. Nora followed Mia around as she picked up book after book. Nora absentmindedly flipped through a bridesmaid dress catalog.

"You know I'm going to be huge at your wedding right?" Nora said.

Mia had not wanted to wait very long to get married so the wedding was in April which meant that Nora would be 8 months pregnant. Mia turned around and put her hands on Nora's belly.

"Oh but you are so cute pregnant." She said.

Nora scoffed. "Ugh yeah sure. I'm sure I will look super cute when I'm about to pop."

Mia stuck her tongue out at her and kept walking. They walked the whole store and Nora was tired and hungry. She wanted to go home and cuddle up with her new book and some soup. When Mia was finally done they checked out and walked back to their cars. Mia insisted on carrying Nora's bags for her even though it was not necessary. Mia put Nora's bags in the car and hugged her. Nora stopped and grabbed some soup on the way home.

When Nora got home she wanted to change out of her dress. She put on her yoga pants which fit nicely still. She pulled on a long sleeve shirt and it was snug across her belly. Damn she really needed to buy some more maternity clothes. She pulled her long hair into a braid that hung over her shoulder. She sat down on the couch with her book and her soup. She was just about to take a bite when her phone rang. She answered the phone sighing.

"What Mia?" she said.

"Gee cranky preggo. I think I gave you one of my bags by mistake. Can you check?"

Nora got up and looked through the bags. "Yeah I have it."

"Okay cool. Brad is going to pick it up in like 5 minutes is that okay?"

"Yeah sure." Nora said sitting back down.

"Okay thank you I love you. Now go back to your reading."

Nora hung up the phone and picked up her soup again. She put a spoonful in her mouth. Oh this was perfect. Exactly what she need on this windy November day. She ate it very fast because she was hungry. Her doorbell rang when she was up throwing her bowl away.

"Come on in Brad." She yelled from the kitchen.

The doorknob turned and Brad walked into the foyer. "Hey Nora."

She came into the foyer with the bag in her hand. "Holy baby bump. Damn girl." He said.

"Oh wow gee thanks Brad nice to see you too." She said.

Loki walked up Nora's street sticking to the shadows like he normally did. He saw there was a car in her driveway that he had never seen before. He was curious and got closer. He saw the front door to Nora's house open and there was a man standing there. He was tall and broad shouldered. Loki felt something like jealousy. Who was this man? Loki saw the man bend down and hug Nora. Loki's face flushed. Was she sleeping with this man? Nora stood in the doorway and waved to the man as he walked to his car. Loki watched the man drive away and Nora close the door. Loki wanted to leave and not care but he couldn't help it. He had to know who this man was and if he was sleeping with Nora. Before he even knew what he was doing he found himself crossing the street. He reached his hand out and gently pressed the doorbell.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey sorry it has been so long since I updated! It was my 21****st**** birthday so as you can imagine I was busy lol! Anyway hope you all enjoy!**

Nora had just sat back down when her doorbell rang again. Ugh god what now? She had to get up to answer the door because she had locked it when Brad left. She walked to the front door and undid the deadbolt.

"What now Brad…" she said flinging the door open.

Her eyes widened as she realized Loki was standing in front of her. Loki looked at Nora. He had only seen her in her coat so he had not realized that she had gotten this big. He looked at the way her shirt clung to her bump. Seeing it up close made him feel guilty all over again but he also had the strange urge to touch it. Nora looked at him looking at her bump and it made her want to hide it from him. At the same time his gaze on her body thrilled her. She crossed her arms over her belly.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Loki's silver tongue was failing him. He had always been able to lie and manipulate with ease but today no words would come to him. He breathed out and swallowed hard.

"I…uh…can I come in?"

Nora wanted to say yes but she knew she couldn't let herself be weak again. "I'm not sure that it a good idea."

Loki stuffed his hands in his coat pocket. "Yeah okay. Well I just came here to tell you that I am sorry."

"Sorry for what?" She wanted to hear him say it.

He looked her right in the eye. "For everything. For coming on too strong like that and then for leaving in the morning like a complete jackass. You deserve way better than that and I am truly sorry for what I did to you."

Nora was surprised that he actually confessed to all of that. "Well I am a big girl and I made the decision to sleep with you so I cannot blame that entirely on you. As for leaving in the morning that is different."

He had to fight the urge to reach out and touch her. "I am truly sorry. More sorry than you will ever know. I was afraid and I felt guilty. I should not have done that to you and I will regret it as long as I live."

His speech was convincing but she still was not sure if she should let him back in. Wait was that what he wanted? Why was he here?

"Okay well I suppose that I can forgive you. But why exactly are you here? What are you hoping to get out of this?"

"I just wanted to apologize…and ask if we could be friends."

Nora couldn't deny the fact that she felt better when Loki was around. He made her feel something she didn't understand.

"Okay yes I can do friends." She held out her hand for him to shake. "But we have to be friends in public places from now on."

He shook her hand. "Alright agreed."

…

Friends was difficult to do. Loki and Nora had been friends for 4 weeks now and it was harder than they thought it was going to be. They met up for coffee or lunch a few times a week but had yet to venture into the dinner zone. Dinner seemed too much like a date. Nora couldn't deny that being friends with Loki, while difficult, was also incredible. He truly listened to what she had to say and he made her smile. He was always polite and never pushed to come home with her, which was good because she couldn't say with confidence that she would turn him down. Loki couldn't deny the fact that Nora made him feel different. Her smile made his heart flip and he couldn't reconcile why. Being friends with her made him want to be better. He no longer spent his night tangled in the sheets with random women. He didn't need them anymore. He had been careful not to push her but it was killing him to be so close yet so far.

Nora sat at her desk wishing she had a blanket. It was freezing in her classroom but she wanted to finish up some grading before she went home. She loved wearing skirts but due to the snow today she opted for riding boots with black pants and a sweater. She shivered but stayed where she was. It was a Friday and she knew if she didn't grade these now she was not going to do it until Monday. Nora finally finished the papers she was grading. She stood up to put her coat on and there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." she said.

Loki stepped inside her classroom. "Good I was hoping you would still be here."

Nora smiled. "Oh Hi Loki. What are you doing here?"

He smiled back at her. "I was just about to head home but I was hungry and I thought maybe you were too."

Nora's stomach growled in reply and they both laughed. "I will take that as a yes." He said.

"Yes food sounds great. I was thinking pizza." She said.

"Pizza sounds good to me." Loki replied.

Loki had never had pizza before and he wasn't sure what it was but he wasn't about to say no. He only hoped pizza was something good. They walked to Nora's car, the snow blowing around them. Loki always rode with her which made her wonder how exactly he always got around but she never asked.

"My favorite pizza place doesn't do dine in so do you care if we get it and take it back to my house?" she said.

Loki smiled. They were breaking two of the unwritten rules but he certainly wasn't going to point that out. "Yes that is alright with me."

Loki carried the box inside behind Nora. He had yet to see what was in it but it certainly smelled good. Nora led him to the kitchen and he set the box on the counter. She grabbed plates and napkins.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked him.

"Anything is fine with me."

"I think I have a coke in here that Mia left if you want that."

Again he was not really sure what that was. "Yeah I will take that."

They sat down on the couch and Loki looked at the triangle on his plate. Nora was busy turning on the TV so he hadn't seen her eat any yet. He decided to wait and see how she did it before doing it himself.

"Have you ever seen Lord of the Rings?" she asked.

"Umm no I don't believe so."

Nora gasped. "What? How is that even possible? Okay we are going to watch the first one right now."

She put in the movie and sat back down next to him. Nora curled her feet up under her and leaned against the side of the couch. She didn't want to get too close to Loki because she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. She took a bite of her pizza and smiled. Mmm this was exactly what she needed. Loki watched Nora out of the corner of his eye. He watched how she picked up the pizza and bit it. He did exactly what she did and he was pleasantly surprised. This food was delicious. How had he never tried this before? Nora watched Loki watching the movie intently. He seemed to be enjoying it. The fellowship had just left Rivendell and she was already getting a little stir crazy. She needed to get up and move her legs around.

"Are you done with your plate?" she asked him, standing up.

Loki tore his eyes away from the movie. "Oh yes I am."

She took his plate from him. "I will just take these to the kitchen."

Loki started to stand up. "No please you sit. I can take them."

She smiled. "It's alright. I really need to stretch my legs. You don't need to pause the movie either I have seen it a million times."

Nora walked into the kitchen and took a minute to breathe. Maybe having Loki here in her house wasn't such a good idea. It was hard enough to ignore what she thought she was feeling when they were in public but here was a different story. She had no idea how he felt about her and she didn't want to complicate things. Loki's friendship was the only thing that kept her going sometimes and even saying that made her feel guilty. She knew she was falling for Loki but how could he possibly feel anything like that for her. She was pregnant with her dead husband's baby. How could anybody want that? She washed their plates and put them away. She needed to get back in there before Loki got suspicious. Her legs felt so cramped on the couch though and she was not looking forward to that. She went back into the living room stretching out her legs as she went. She sat back down and moved around a little.

Loki noticed her discomfort. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah just my legs feeling cramped."

"You can stretch them out. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes I am positive. I do not mind at all."

Nora stretched her legs out across the couch and across Loki's lap. He was careful not to put his hands on her legs just in case. It was incredible how natural and comfortable it felt. Neither one of them seemed to notice or mind their sitting arrangement at all. Loki was quite enjoying this movie. He found himself rooting for the little person more than he was for the ugly creatures, which was odd for him. He hadn't taken his eyes off the movie the whole. When it ended he was confused as to why nothing had been answered. This story was not over. He looked over at Nora to say something about it and he saw she was asleep. Her head was leaning back against the couch and her arms were at her sides. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. He smiled at her like this. She didn't look very comfortable though. Loki slid out from under her legs, trying his best not to wake her up. He slid his one arm under her legs and another around her back and gently lifted her off the couch. She stirred slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Loki gently carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. Being in her bedroom again brought both feelings of pleasure and disgust at himself. He set her down and pulled the covers around her. He couldn't stop himself from brushing his fingers through her hair. He knew he needed to leave. Loki turned to walk away.

"Please don't go." She whispered.

He turned around and saw her eyes barely open.

"Please stay with me." She said softly.

Loki climbed into the bed with her but stayed on one side. Nora stayed where she was and fell back asleep. Loki lay there in the quiet not touching her but he body feeling on fire just from being that close to her. In no time Loki was asleep with his hand just centimeters from Nora's.

**Again sorry for the wait! Please let me know what you think! Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

Loki woke up before Nora did. He couldn't believe he actually spent the night. This was the first time he had ever slept in a woman's bed where all they did was sleep. He looked at Nora's sleeping face. She was sleeping so peacefully and looked adorable. She had pushed the blanket off of her sometime in the night. Loki saw that her shirt was pushed up which left her bump revealed to him. He couldn't deny that he was curious. He thought this might be the only chance to satisfy his curiosity. He warmed up his cold hands so that it wouldn't shock her awake. Slowly and gracefully Loki laid his open palm on Nora's belly. She didn't move or stir so he figured he was alright. He cupped his hand over the bump. Her skin was very soft but the bump itself was firm. She was not very big yet so his large hand covered the whole surface of it. This was absolutely fascinating to him. Loki had seen many wonderful and amazing things across the galaxy but this here was perhaps the most incredible. Right here under his hand was a life. There was a baby growing and developing inside of Nora. This heart broken and grieving widow was sustaining another life within her. Suddenly Loki has a newfound respect for Nora. She lost so much yet she chose to live and take care of her child. A child who would not have its father. Loki was overwhelmed with guilt. More guilt than he had ever felt in his entire lifetime. Nora deserved her husband to be here. He should be the one lying in bed with her with his hand on her belly. Loki could not give that to her. As much as he wished he could go back and change things there was nothing he could do about it. He would do something else though. Loki made a vow to himself and to Nora and to her unborn child resting under his palm. He would do everything he could do give them a good life. No matter what he would be there for them for the rest of their lives. Even if they rejected him and didn't want him there he would always watch over them. By Valhalla he was going to make up for what he had foolishly done.

Nora started to wake up. She could feel someone was touching her belly. There was a large cool hand across her belly. It only took a moment to remember that it was Loki. She had asked him to stay last night and he had. She opened her eyes and saw that his eyes were fixed on her belly.

"Morning." She said.

Loki's trance was broken. He quickly pulled his hand back. He hadn't wanted to get caught doing that.

"Sorry I was just curious." He said.

She thought it was very sweet that he had done that. His 'oops I got caught' face was even cuter. She smiled at him before sitting up and stretching.

"It's alright. I don't mind at all." She said.

Nora realized that she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. "I'm going to take a shower. You are welcome to anything in the kitchen if you are hungry." She said standing up.

"Okay thanks."

Loki headed down the stairs leaving Nora to her privacy. He manifested some fresh clothes and a car outside so that he would have an excuse as to where the clothes came from. He was wearing dark jeans and a black sweater. This was normal attire, right? He looked through the cupboards and fridge trying to decide what to make. He pulled out the carton of eggs. He hoped that she liked omelets because it was one of the things he was very good at making. He cooked some bacon and chopped up some vegetables. Surely if these things were in her fridge then she must like them. Loki mixed the bacon and veggies in with the eggs and put it in the pan. He brewed some decaf coffee for the two of them.

Nora towel dried her hair leaving it a little bit wet. It always looked better when it was left to dry naturally. She put on a pair of jeans that just barely fit and a pink hoodie. She put on a little bit of makeup. When she opened the door to her bedroom the smell of breakfast hit her. It smelled so wonderful and made her mouth water. She came down into the kitchen and saw that Loki had made breakfast for both of them. He motioned for her to sit and he pushed her chair in once she sat down. What a gentleman.

"Thank you this all looks delicious." Nora said.

"You are welcome. I hope you like it." He replied.

Nora and Loki ate in silence but it was not an awkward silence. Neither of them felt the need to talk. Nora noticed that Loki had changed his clothes.

"Where did you get those clothes?" she asked.

"Oh I had someone bring my car last night and they were in my car." He replied and then went back to eating.

Nora had always wondered just how well off Loki was and if someone was bringing his car to him in the middle of the night then the answer was very well off. Nora finished her breakfast which was absolutely delicious.

"That was incredible. Are you done with your dishes?" Nora said getting up.

"Oh yes thank you." Loki said handing them to her.

Nora took their dishes to the kitchen and Loki followed behind her. She began to wash them while Loki lounged against the doorway watching her. When she finished she turned around.

"So do you have any plans for today?" she said while drying her hands.

"No not really." He replied. "But I can leave if you have things you need to do."

"No I don't have anything important to do. Maybe just some grocery shopping but that's it. You are more than welcome to come if you want but I'm sure there are more exciting things you could be doing."

"Actually if you don't mind me tagging along I would like to accompany you."

Loki had never been grocery shopping before and it was another thing he was curious about.

"Oh alright well we can leave now then if you are ready."

Nora grabbed my purse and they walked out to Loki's car. It was a jet-black Jaguar. Oh yeah he definitely had money. He helped her in then and closed the door behind her. Nora slid her hand on the cool leather seat. Wow this car was nice. Loki got in and Nora directed him the way to the store. It was such a mundane task but Loki relished it. Any moment he could spend with Nora was good for him. They were at the checkout and their cashier was a little old lady. She had silver hair that was curled and wore an obscene amount of blue eye shadow. She rang up the bottle of prenatal vitamins.

"Oh congratulations you must be so excited." She said looking at Nora.

"Thank you." Nora said.

The cashier looked at Loki. "You must be excited too. That's the look of a proud papa right there. I bet the young'un will look just like you with those handsome features."

Loki and Nora both smiled awkwardly not really saying anything. It was a weird moment for both of them but neither of them knew what to say. They never really talked about Nora's pregnancy and it had never really occurred to them that being out in public together that people would think they were together. Both of them ignored the comment and headed back to Nora's house. The comment had definitely gotten to Loki but he tried not to let his phase him since Nora didn't say anything.

Loki had been at Nora's house for a week. He stayed there every night, sleeping right next to her. They never did anything they just slept next to each other all night. Neither of them really knew how it happened but they just fell into a routine. They talked until they fell asleep and woke up again in the morning having not moved. There were no fond exchanges or touches. They never kissed or said anything flirty. They just were together all the time. It should have been weird but it wasn't. It felt so natural, so normal. Nora felt good when Loki was around. He was able to calm her spirit. Nora was just starting to wake up but she wanted to stay lying in bed next to Loki who was still sleeping. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and sat up. Loki was right next to her so there was only one other person it could be. She didn't even have time to warn Loki before the door swung open.

"Hey Nora did you get a new car?" Mia said and then she saw Loki, who woke up when the door opened. "What the hell is this?"

**I would love to know what you guys are thinking! Please please review! Love to all!**


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